Cutting

Often associated with fat loss, cutting typically occurs in a pre-planned phase where fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders fall into a designed calorie deficit to become as lean as possible while maintaining their current muscle mass. Usually, this deficit starts at around 500 calories below their typical maintenance calories and is adjusted from there. While this may seem simple, there’s more hidden beneath the layers.

Calorie Defecits

The magic behind all forms of weight loss is a caloric deficit. A caloric deficit simply refers to when a person’s caloric intake is less than their maintenance calories. Typically, a person’s maintenance calories hovers somewhere in the range of 2,000 calories/day. For athletes or people who are more active, that range can increase, while for smaller or less active people, that number may be lower. To calculate this number, multiply your target weight in pounds by 9 to 11 + the weekly number of hours spent training (For those that are more active use the higher end of the range and vice versa). From here, start by subtracting 500 calories from this number to be in a calorie deficit. To know if this is working, track your weekly weight loss. If a 500-calorie deficit is not working, try upping the deficit to 600-700 calories. However, you must be still able to sustain yourself and lose weight safely. Below is a general table to follow. For those around 12-20% body fat, a goal to aim for is losing 1-1.5 lbs/week with a 500-750 calorie deficit.

Macronutrients:

While cutting, it is extremely important to maintain a sufficiently high protein intake while moderating total calorie intake to not lose lean muscle mass. At the end of the day, the goal of a cutting diet is to lose body fat while preserving the lean body mass underneath. As a result, it is suggested that athletes have a sufficient protein and fat intake.

On a cutting diet eat 1.0-1.4g of protein per pound of lean body mass. However, it is important to note that excessive protein intake in a certain meal will not be effective as our bodies have a maximum rate of protein synthesis (Roughly 30g/meal), which will cause the excess protein just to be calories. Therefore, it would be beneficial to space out multiple meals a day with various amounts of protein in each. 

In terms of fats, experts estimate that roughly 20-30% of your calories should come from fat. For someone on a 2000-calorie diet, this would equate to roughly 44-67g of fat per day. Athletes on an intense regimen should fall somewhere on the lower end of this range to maximize carb intake which helps replenish glycogen stores and provide energy overall.

While this article isn’t primarily about macronutrients, for a further deep dive, click this link.

Cutting vs Weight Loss Diets:

While these 2 ideas seem very similar, cutting and weight loss diets differ quite a bit. Typically, cutting diets are geared towards fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders who seek to lower their body fat percentage while maintaining their present lean body mass. As a result, these diets tend to include higher amounts of protein and carbs than normal.

Conclusion:

While the end result of cutting may be highly desirable, it does come with substantial commitment. For many, the constant feeling of low energy and strict dieting can be both mentally and emotionally draining. However, if you follow through, the end result will be worth it. As always, we are not trained medical professionals. Please listen to your healthcare provider and consult them about any and all dietary decisions.

Sources:

Brewster, Ben, and Kyle Boddy. Building the 95 MPH Body. Tread Athletics, Tread Athletics, treadathletics.com.

“How to Follow a Cutting Diet for Weight Loss.” Healthline, Healthline Media, www.healthline.com/nutrition/cutting-diet#method. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.